Hidden Secret
by Carmensandiego79
Summary: Liz finds herself jealous of a new agent involved with the task force.
1. Chapter 1

When Liz walked into the Post Office that Tuesday morning, something was off. She could sense it.

She entered into the office she shared with Ressler and saw his briefcase on the desk, next to his keys, but there was no sign of him.

"Agent Keen", Aram said as she spun around facing the doorway where he was standing.

"Cooper needs you in his office, STAT." She watched him turn away, not sticking around long enough for her to ask any questions.

Keen put her coat down and made her way up to Asst. Director Cooper's office while she wondered in her head why the office was relatively empty and why she was being called up to Cooper's office so early.

The Blacklister case they had been working on for the past few days was a tough one. Red had given them the name of a seemingly normal American doctor. He had a wife and three kids, lived in the suburbs, paid his taxes and his patients loved him. But according to Red, he used his cosmetic surgery practice as a front to hide more sinister acts. Apparently, Dr. Max Mario was in the business of performing illegal medical procedures on patients who paid a high price for face alteration.

At first, Liz wondered why Red had brought him this case. There were probably thousands of doctors across the world who weren't exactly doing "ethical" medical procedures. But according to Red, the good ol' doctor had recently made a habit of creating new faces for criminals who needed to change their appearance in order to avoid capture. And one of those criminals, just happened to be on the Feds Top Ten Most Wanted List.

Liz got to Cooper's office and noticed a new face through the blinds before she stepped inside.

"Agent Keen", Cooper said with a hard smile. "Glad you could join us this morning."

Liz shot a look at Ressler, who was standing in the corner, avoiding her gaze.

"Meet Agent Elizabeth Warren from the FBI's CounterTerrorism division", Cooper said while looking over to petite, blonde woman standing next to Ressler.

"Agent Warren will be assisting us on our case from here on out."

Liz looked over from Agent Warren to Cooper, dumbfounded by what she was hearing.

"Sir… We don't normally get any assistance from other agents on our cases….", Liz said without mentioning Raymond Reddington's name and the fact that their task force was built around one of the men Agent Warren was tasked to find and jail.

"I know, Agent Keen, but Agent Warren has been briefed on our task force and can provide much assistance when it comes to Dr. Mario and the reason why he is someone we need to locate and put away."

She saw Ressler look over at her, his face reflecting the same expression she occupied.

Liz nodded to Cooper and reached out to shake Agent Warren's hand.

"Well, then", Liz said. "Welcome to the team."

…

Ressler walked down the stairs from Cooper's office, feeling the hard stare from his partner who was walking a few steps behind him. He watched Agent Warren make her way over to Agent Navabi's desk and felt an arm grab him from behind and pull him over to the side.

"Ressler, what the hell is going on?" Liz stared at him, just a few inches from his face, trying to keep her voice low. "And why didn't you tell me that we should've been here earlier?"

A smirk rose on Ressler's face. "Liz, it's not my fault that you aren't a morning person."

Liz hit him in the arm. "I'm serious, Ressler. When the heck do we just open our task force and our work to other agents we know nothing about?"

Ressler studied her face before he spoke again.

"I've known Agent Warren for years. She's a good agent, Keen. And apparently she has been trying to take down this Dr. Mario for years. She knows all about how his operation works, the tactics he uses."

"Well how good could she be if she hasn't been able to bring him down?"

Ressler laughed.

"You could say the same about me, Keen. I hunted Red for 5 years and never caught him until he walked through the front door…"

Liz looked away, a bit ashamed at making that comment to Ressler.

"Come on…. Let's hear what she has to say about our Blacklister", Ressler said as he walked away from her.

Liz walked over with Ressler to the middle of the room where Agents Navabi and Warren were standing and starting to discuss the case.

"Look… this guy is good. I mean, really good", Agent Warren said. "I've been gathering information on him for years, ever since he started realizing that criminals pay a heck of a lot more than regular patients."

"We found out about his practice when one of the members of a covert underground terrorist organization was found dead, only identified by his DNA."

Warren stopped and had Aram pull up a picture of the terrorist.

"Here is the last known photo we had of him… And here is what he looked like when we found him dead."

Liz &amp; Ressler watched as a morgue photo showing a completely different face showed up on their screens.

"Dr. Mario commands top dollar for his services. And somewhere along the line, he started realizing that criminals pay ten times more for his work than regular customers."

"Okay, so what now?", Liz asked. "You said you've been tracking him for years without success. How do we get the information we need?"

"Well, actually I think we may be able to use some of Agent Ressler's knowledge to help with that. One of the last known criminals that we know used him is one that Agent Ressler was familiar with in his previous task force."

Ressler's head shot up and looked over at Agent Warren.

"Samuel King ring a bell?", she asked.

"Yes, all too familiar", Ressler said while taking a deep sigh and looking over a Liz's puzzled face.

"Good. Agent Ressler, we'll need to pull up any known info you can get your hands on."

Ressler nodded and started walking over the elevator when Liz ran up behind him and stopped him in his tracks.

"Ressler, who is Samuel King and how does he tie into this?", Liz asked.

"He's an old informant of my previous task force that worked with us for 3 years until he up and disappeared one day."

"Ok, I'm coming with you. I can help look…", Liz said before she was cut off by Agent Warren who had overheard their conversation and walked up to intervene.

"Actually, Agent Keen, I've asked Agent Navabi if the two of you could look again into the business files on Dr. Mario's cosmetic practice."

"We've been through them for the past 2 days, there's nothing." Liz said as she looked over at Ressler for support.

"I think we should look again. There has to be something we aren't catching…", Agent Warren said while walking towards the elevator. She shot a look back at Ressler.

"I'll help Agent Ressler sort through his old files … I know more about this man than I care to admit. If anything pops up in Samuel King's files that is relevant, I can better spot it out."

She looked at Agent Ressler and smiled.

"Plus, it will give me and Donald a chance to catch up... find out if he's still the same charming agent I knew from back in the day."

Ressler gave a look to Keen as he caught up to Agent Warren and proceeded to enter the elevator, leaving Liz standing alone.


	2. Chapter 2

"Since when do we take orders from another agent on our own task force?", Liz asked Agent Navabi as the two re-worked their way through piles of paperwork.

Agent Navabi grimaced as she looked at the stacks upon stacks in front of her.

"We don't." She said coldly. "But it seems that Cooper was strong armed into allowing her to assist. Nothing much we can do except to use her expertise."

"They've been down there for hours", Liz said while staring again at the elevator door. "What the hell is taking them so long to look through his old files?"

"The same thing that is taking us this long to look through ours."

Both Navabi and Keen suddenly turned towards the elevators when they heard Ressler and Warren laughing while walking out carrying loads of paperwork.

Ressler spotted Keen immediately and walked over to her.

"How's it coming, you guys find anything?", Ressler asked while setting down the papers he was holding.

"Same as before. Nothing in these files that gives any hint of suspicious activity or income."

Keen looked over to Agent Warren who had walked into her and Ressler's shared office.

"I take it you guys found some info on your old informant?"

"Not sure yet. It's gonna be a long night looking through these old archives." Ressler said while grabbing his paperwork and turning to walk to their office.

Keen watched as he closed the door behind him and took a seat behind his desk as he talked with Agent Warren who was occupying hers.

Agent Navabi watched Keen as she smirked to herself.

"Everything ok, Keen?"

Liz broke her stare and looked over at her.

"Tell me it's not just me who doesn't trust our new team member…", Liz said back.

"I don't trust anyone." Navabi said while turning her attention back to the files in front of them.

…..

Six hours later, Keen and Navabi were almost finished going through the records when Ressler and Warren rushed out of the office and over to them.

"We found it. We found the connection. We think we know where Samuel King may have been hiding after he disappeared from the FBI's watch."

Ressler had Aram pull up a massage parlor located in the heart of D.C.

"One of the last known locations we know Samuel King frequented was this parlor", Ressler said while looking over at Keen. "We ransacked the place but couldn't find anything to tie them to King."

"But I remember looking through the records of Dr. Mario and this place was somewhere he frequented as well. Numerous times." Agent Warren looked over at Ressler.

"Good eye, Ressler", she said smiling at the agent. Ressler nodded back appreciatively while Liz watched the exchange.

"So what's our plan of attack?" Samar asked looking between both Warren and Ressler.

"We need to run surveillance in and out of this place", Warren said while looking at Ressler.

"Ressler, you've seen more than Samuel King's face", she said. "You've interacted with him, know his mannerisms. If his facial structure did change, his body did not."

Liz perked up at the mention of surveillance and immediately started spouting off ideas for surveying the parlor when she was interrupted by Agent Warren.

"Actually, Agent Keen, I was thinking of having myself and Agent Ressler take this one."

All the agents in the room turned their attention towards Agent Warren at her statement. Liz's face was unable to hide her disdain as she watched Ressler's eyes slowly make their way to hers.

"Look, there's no one more qualified in this room to spot Samuel King and Max Mario than myself and Agent Ressler. It's a no brainer that we will be doing the surveillance run."

Liz opened her mouth to speak but shut it once she realized that opposition to this plan would be futile.

"Keen, we should try to pull up everything we can on this place to assist them with their operation tomorrow", Navabi said to her as she watched Ressler and Warren turn to themselves to discuss details.

"Yes, of course", Liz said assuredly.

She turned away for a moment and walked over to an open computer when she heard Ressler's voice behind her.

"Liz… everything ok?", he asked, forcing her to turn around.

"Why wouldn't it be, Ressler?"

She saw his face frown at her curt reply and nodded his head.

"Look, I know you don't trust Agent Warren. But I've known her for almost 6 years and she doesn't seem to have any ulterior motives. She's actually a pretty good agent."

Liz looked away and pursed her lips.

"Well I'm sure you'll have a great time tomorrow catching up more since I was commissioned for desk duty on this mission."

Ressler shook his head.

"It's not like that Keen, and you know it."

Keen shook her head. "No, Ressler, I don't know anything, that's the problem. I walked into the office today like any other normal day around here and it's been anything but. Are we trusting her to keep her mouth shut about the task force working with Raymond Reddington to take down criminals like Dr. Mario?"

Ressler lowered his voice a bit as he continued to talk to his partner.

"Yes, we are trusting her and she is tasked with proving her worth to us. That was part of the deal."

"Deal? What deal?" Liz took a few steps closer to Ressler, now intrigued on what was really going on.

"Apparently, the Director wants us to add another member on this task force and Agent Warren is the one who she selected."

Liz was dumbfounded. She stared questioningly into Ressler's eyes as they both heard Agent Warren calling him in the background.

"Look, I'll get with you later. Warren and I are going to look through some of her files back at her office."

Liz watched as Ressler walked back into their office and grabbed his coat to head out the door with Warren.

She stood there for a few minutes… trying to understand how it was that her partner was going forward with an undercover operation with another agent at his side. An agent they didn't know anything about.

She almost jumped out of her skin when Aram started talking behind her.

"Looks like those two are pretty chummy, huh, Agent Keen?" Aram watched Liz's face start to scowl as the reality of his words sank in.

"Sorry… I'll uhhh, go back to my desk and shut up now."

Liz wished she could press re-start on the day. But she still had a ton more work to do to assist with finding out as much as they could on the massage parlor Ressler and Warren would be surveying the following day.


	3. Chapter 3

Liz woke up around 6am the next morning still feeling apprehensive. She and Agent Navabi hadn't left the Post Office until around 11:30pm the previous evening. They had gotten a ton of work done, which they found to be useful for Ressler and Warren's assignment. But if she were being honest with herself, she was hoping during the evening that Ressler and Warren would return back so she could talk to him more.

They never did.

She had fought the urge to text or call him. Instead, burying herself in her work, like she often did when things were bothering her.

She refused to admit to herself that her apprehension and dislike of Agent Warren was anything besides unfamiliarity. The woman was a stranger to her even if Ressler vouched for her. Point Blank. But Liz felt herself at times becoming possessive of Ressler. And those were feelings she didn't like to admit.

When she walked into the building, she immediately spotted the two of them reviewing the information that her and Samar had gathered the previous evening.

"Morning Keen", Ressler said to her as Agent Warren barely lifted her head to acknowledge her.

"Agent Keen, you're just in time for the briefing on today's mission", she said while finally looking up into Agent Keen's eyes.

"Fantastic."

Ressler turned to Keen and pursed his lips. She shot him a glance back as Agent Warren started speaking.

"Ok team, Ressler and I will be in a car approximately two storefronts down from the parlor."

Warren paused briefly while turning her attention to Liz.

"Agent Keen, you and Agent Navabi will be in a surveillance van a block away with eyes and ears on the front entrance and back entrance of the business."

"We'll all be in communication the entire time so if anyone sees anything suspicious… anything at all… you are to radio in."

Keen nodded reluctantly and glanced briefly at Ressler who was paying full attention to Warren.

"If either Samuel King or Max Mario is spotted, the plan is for myself and Agent Ressler to attempt to apprehend the suspects with immediate backup called upon by Agents Keen and Navabi."

The agents discussed a few more minor details and then each group broke off to head out for the mission. Liz watched as Ressler and Warren gathered their belongings and headed out without so much as a goodbye.

…

It had been six hours into the surveillance and Liz had to pinch herself from falling asleep. So far, they had turned up nothing. Only the normal clientele seemed to be patronizing the massage parlor and no one who resembled Ressler's old informant, Samuel King, or their newest Blacklister, Max Mario.

"So Keen…. Still don't trust Ressler's new partner?"

Nabavi smirked when she heard Keen almost snort at her comment.

"Don't test me Samar", Liz joked. "There is nothing about that woman that I like so far. I'm not sure when we became second fiddle on our own task force, but something definitely doesn't feel right."

"Well… Ressler seems to trust her", Navabi said as they overheard the two agents talking about the case on their radios.

Liz was just about to radio in for them to turn off their microphones unless they needed to share information when she overheard Warren ask Ressler about Liz.

_ "__So Donald…. How is it being paired with Elizabeth Keen? Wasn't she fresh out of Quantico when she joined the task force?"_

She glanced at Navabi, whose interest had peaked as well, as the two agents continued to listen in.

_"__Yes, she was… She's actually turned out to be a great agent."_

Liz couldn't help the smile that was forming on her face as she heard her partner speak well of her.

_"__Hmmm…. I've heard quite the opposite, actually. Well, at least in the beginning. I was told many months ago there was a secret task force that was in jeopardy of being shut down because of certain actions by the agents on it."_

Liz sat up straighter and turned the volume up on the radio so she could hear the conversation better.

_"__Well," Ressler stated slowly, "if there were any agents on the task force in the beginning that hindered things, it was probably myself. I admit I was hard on Keen at first. I made her prove her worth as an agent instead of being the best partner I could. But that has all changed."_

Liz looked down at her hands and suddenly felt embarrassed for listening in on their conversation. She looked over at Agent Navabi, who didn't look bothered, and was about to suggest letting them know their radio was on when she heard Warren start talking again.

_"You've always been a thorough agent, Donald. If you were hard on her at first, I'm sure she needed it."_

Liz snorted loudly, causing Agent Navabi to turn to her and smirk as Agent Warren continued speaking.

_"If you don't mind me asking, I thought I sensed a little more there from the looks Agent Keen was giving me. Are you two__…. more than just partners?" _

Liz's mouth flew open, shocked at the audacity of this woman to ask Ressler such a question. She couldn't believe what she was hearing and thought about letting the woman know that she should keep from gossiping while on official FBI work, when she heard Ressler start to laugh.

_"__Are Keen and I more than partners? No. Absolutely not."_

Liz felt herself releasing the long breath she had drawn in after hearing Warren's question to Ressler. She found herself getting angrier and angrier that she almost missed Ressler's final comment back to Warren.

_"__Keen is a fine agent and I am lucky to have the opportunity to work with her every day. But there will never be anything more between us than just a work partnership."_


	4. Chapter 4

Liz sat in the van; dumbfounded. Ressler had just given her high compliments, telling Warren how great she was and how he took pride in working with her each day. But she couldn't deny the dagger in her heart from his last sentence.

She quickly remembered that Agent Navabi was sitting right next to her, overhearing everything she had just been witness to.

Liz looked over at her and watched as Samar's eyes grew soft.

"Well Keen… I guess Aram owes me $20 for betting whether you and Ressler were a thing."

She softly chuckled as she stepped out of the van for some fresh air, giving Liz some time for herself.

Liz turned the radio down so she could barely hear any more of Ressler and Warren's conversation and wondered to herself why she was so upset. Her and Ressler weren't anything more than partners. They had never come close to crossing that line. However, she did consider them friends… even outside of the job. But from Ressler's statement, you wouldn't know it.

She stayed in her thoughts for a few more minutes when she thought she heard yelling from the radio. She turned it up to hear Ressler calling her name and stating that Samuel King had been spotted and they were going in after him.

Keen grabbed Agent Navabi from outside the van and watched the surveillance video as they saw Ressler and Warren step out of the car and enter the massage parlor. Keen paid close attention to the radio as she heard Ressler and Warren split up inside the building to find the suspect. A few seconds later, Ressler yelled out to Warren to look out behind her as the agents heard two gunshots go off from the radio.

Keen and Navabi jumped out of the van and ran one block to enter the building after Ressler and Warren. Keen immediately spotted Agent Warren on the ground, with a concerned Ressler cradling her head and tying a towel around the wound on her arm.

"Elizabeth…", he yelled at her. "Liz…. hold on, we're going to get help."

Liz froze watching Ressler attend to Agent Warren.

"She's been shot once in the arm and once in the abdomen", he stated as the two agents approached him.

Keen leaned over to Warren and began to radio in for help.

"Keen, stay with Warren. Navabi, let's go find King."

In a flash, Keen found herself watching as Ressler bolted down the hallway where King had disappeared to with Agent Navabi following behind him.

She stayed with Warren for about 3 minutes, until paramedics and more police poured inside the building to help with Agent Warren's wounds and securing the building.

When Keen walked outside, she saw Samuel King being led by Ressler into the FBI vehicle and Navabi talking with local police on the scene.

He saw her and immediately ran over to where she was standing.

"How's Warren", he asked, concern written all over his face.

"She's hurt pretty bad."

He sighed, looking down and cursing at himself.

"I shouldn't have split up. I should've made sure she was protected."

Liz winced. "Ressler, this isn't your fault. Agent Warren is a seasoned agent. She knew how to protect herself."

Liz watched Ressler's face take in her words and spit them back out. He was blaming himself.

When the paramedics wheeled Warren out in the stretcher, both agents went over to her to see how she was.

Ressler grabbed her hand and held it on the way to the van.

"Keen, I'm going to ride with Warren to the hospital. Make sure you ride with Samuel King and put him in the interrogation room for prepping."

Liz watched as he jumped up into the back of the ambulance with Agent Warren.

"I'll be right behind you. Just give me a few minutes."

And with that, Liz watched as the ambulance shut its doors and made its way to the hospital.


	5. Chapter 5

When they had gotten back to the Post Office, Asst Director Cooper had instructed Keen and Navabi to question Samuel King and not wait for Ressler to return. What they thought would be a hard flip, turned out to be easy. King sang like a songbird and named the exact location and time where they could find Dr. Max Mario.

An hour after that, Agent Navabi and Keen had been successful at bringing in yet another Blacklister off the streets.

It was around 8pm when Keen finally sat at her desk, reflecting on the day, and put her head in her hands. They hadn't heard word from the hospital or Ressler for over two hours. Warren had taken a turn for the worse and Ressler had opted to stay there until her family arrived.

Liz jumped out of her skin when she heard the office door creak and saw Ressler walk inside.

"Hey Keen", he said, his face looking as tired as she felt.

"How's Agent Warren?"

"She made it through the first round of surgeries. The doctors are optimistic."

He sat down and put his hands on his desk as he looked at her.

"I heard you got Samuel King to talk."

"Actually, yes. Samuel King and Dr. Max Mario are in our custody, as we speak."

Ressler perked up and looked at Liz quizzically.

"King gave up Mario's location?", Ressler asked.

"Yes. He did. Don't act so surprised that I know what I'm doing with suspects", she said sarcastically.

"I didn't mean it like that Keen. Why didn't you call me?"

"You were busy with Agent Warren", Keen said. "I didn't want to bother you."

Ressler stared at her and started to smile.

"Good work, Liz."

"Thanks Ressler, you too", she said softly.

"Hey, I could use a drink after the day we've had. Wanna join?"

Liz watched him for a moment. It wasn't often that they got to have drinks together and just talk. She remembered the conversation earlier that day that she had overheard and thought about letting it go. But she couldn't.

"Why?"

He looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean, why? Why do I want to have drinks?"

"No, I mean why do you want to have drinks with me?"

She got up from her desk and reached over to grab her suit jacket.

"We have a 'work partnership' right? Isn't that what you said to Agent Warren earlier in the car?"

Ressler sighed heavily, realizing the conversation that Liz must had overheard.

"You heard that? C'mon Liz, that's not what I meant."

"Well then tell me, Ressler. Tell me again how strongly you disagree with us ever being anything more than work partners… Not even friends."

She turned to leave when she heard him call out to her.

"Keen, don't", he said beseechingly. "You know how I feel."

"Do I, Ressler? How? Because we're always so open and honest with each other about feelings, right?"

"Ok, here's some truth for you. You've helped me through some of the worst moments in my life. And I have been there for you through some of yours. I thought we were at least friends. But I guess I was wrong. Which wouldn't be the first time I misjudged a relationship in my life."

Ressler watched powerlessly as she left the office and got into the elevators to go home.


	6. Chapter 6

Liz thought about going home but decided against it.

Home was where her mind wandered. Where all she could do was sit back and think. And thinking was dangerous.

She slid into a booth at the back of her favorite bar and ordered a whiskey on the rocks. She wasn't playing around tonight.

She saw a couple in the corner across from her sit next to each other and start to kiss. That used to be her and Tom. Wildly in love. Not caring who was around them, parading their love for the world to see.

Except none of it was real.

And since that moment… since that realization that it was all a façade, Liz had closed herself off to everyone.

_Everyone but Ressler, _she thought to herself.

She thought about how much his words had hurt her from earlier that day. And tried not to think about why. Because if she were honest with herself, the truth about why she was so upset was one she didn't want to admit.

She continued to watch the young couple kissing so much that she didn't see him until he was standing right above her.

"Is this seat taken?"

She looked up suddenly and saw Ressler standing next to her booth with sad, puppy dog eyes.

She laughed to herself.

"Of course you would know where I would go when I had a tough day", she said out loud as she motioned for him to sit down.

"Well… I was the one who wanted you to join me for drinks, right? I figured you probably were mad enough that you didn't want to go home yet and I know this is your favorite bar."

The waitress came over and Ressler ordered the same whiskey that Liz was drinking.

A few moments later, he took a sip and closed his eyes as the liquid ran down his throat.

"God, I needed that", he said as he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Keen, I'm sorry…. About what I said earlier to Warren." He looked down into his glass and continued on.

"I know I'm not good at letting you in on my feelings. I honestly never thought we would have the relationship we have now if I'm honest."

Liz turned away, too nervous to look him in the eyes as he was spilling his truths.

"But you have to know Liz… you have to know that I care about you. You're the only real friend I've got left. Sometimes, the only one I want."

He took another sip of his drink and contemplated going any further. He watched as her eyes slowly made their way back to his. He saw hurt in them. And fear.

"I was jealous, Ressler", Liz blurted out.

Ressler's eyes squinted as he looked her, trying to figure out what she was referring to.

"I was jealous of you… and Warren. How you were with her. How you just seemed to push me aside the past few days to accommodate her on the task force."

She stopped and looked down, embarrassed by her admission.

"Liz, what are you talking about?"

"You even called her Liz…", she slowly looked back up into his eyes. "When she got hurt, you were kneeling over her and called her Liz. And here I am, frozen not because a fellow agent was hurt, but because my partner called her the nickname he calls me."

She gulped down the rest of her drink and closed her eyes before she spoke again.

"I should be the one apologizing. Not you. You didn't do anything wrong."

She motioned over for the bartender to bring her another drink and sat waiting for Ressler to speak.

He didn't. Not for a few minutes. They sat in silence, each one afraid of saying the wrong thing next.

"She could never replace you Liz. Not on the task force….. not in my life."

Liz looked up at him and laughed.

"Stupid, right. I'm a grown woman who is jealous that her partner is making friends with someone else."

"No, it's not stupid", he said softly. "I can honestly say that I've had those feelings about Tom in the past."

Liz looked up suddenly into Ressler's face to see him staring back.

"I never understood why you continued to hold a place in your life for him. A place in your heart. I couldn't understand it. And part of me was a bit jealous… that even through all the pain he's caused you, you still love him."

Liz bit her lip. She never expected the night to take this turn. And she definitely hadn't expected Ressler to admit to feelings of jealousy towards Tom.

"Well cheers", she said trying to lighten the mood. "To two extremely jealous partners who need each other to keep sane."

Ressler smiled at her and gulped his whiskey down.

"I wish I could say it won't happen again Ressler. If Agent Warren does join our task force permanently, there are bound to be more moments like this where I see you interacting with her and get a bit possessive. I don't like to share."

She realized she had said more than she wished to and looked up at him.

His facial expression remained unchanged as he spoke.

"I don't want you to share, Liz. I want to be yours."

Liz's breath caught in her throat as she replayed what he had just spoken aloud. She thought she might have taken his words wrong. Wishing it was what she knew she had wanted from him but was too afraid to admit. And when she looked into his eyes, she knew she hadn't misinterpreted. She saw exactly what he meant by that statement. And she spoke softly back to him.

"Ditto", she said, the only word she was able to muster out from her choppy breath.

She watched as he motioned for the check. She adjusted in her seat, unsure what was happening between them right now.

Ressler took care of the bill and got up from the booth. He extended a hand to Liz to help her up and didn't let go as they walked out of the bar.

Liz felt herself being swept up in a whirlwind. She kept trying to comprehend how they had gotten here. Her relationship with Ressler was always professional. Rarely ever intrusive. And here they both were, admitting to each other that they needed…. wanted each other in their lives.

It was freezing outside when they both stepped out of the bar. Her hand still in his, she took his lead, not knowing what to do or how to act with their new found truths.

Ressler turned to her and let go of her hand. She immediately missed his touch.

"I should get you a cab home. We just down two drinks in less than 20 minutes and God knows how many you'd had before I got there."

She smiled softly. "I'm not drunk, Ressler."

Liz wanted him to know that she wasn't going to regret her statements just a few minutes ago.

"I know. Me either." He smiled back and took a step closer to her as he saw her intake a sharp breath.

Their faces were only inches apart now. Liz watched his beautiful eyes staring into her. She wanted to look away but she couldn't. She was drawn to him. She had been from the very beginning. She saw him look down at her lips and felt a shiver run through her body. She couldn't believe they were really about to do this.

Ressler closed the gap between them and kissed her lips softly. Hesitantly. Her lips were warm, even in the cold air they were standing in. He wanted nothing more than to keep going. To wrap her in his arms and show her just how much he wanted this. But he needed to take things slow.

He pulled back slowly and opened his eyes so see her blissfully staring back at him. He smiled.

"That was nice", he said, not wanting the moment to end.

"Yes, it was."

Liz wanted so badly to pull him back for more. She watched as he kept looking between her eyes and her mouth, knowing he too was conflicted.

"Let me get you that cab", he said quietly.

A few minutes later, both agents stood at the door of the cab, not wanting the night to end. Ressler took her hand in his and caressed it with his thumb.

"I want to do right by you, Liz."

She smiled and broke free of his hand to wrap her arms around his neck into a close hug. She drank in his scent… the smell of his cologne that she knew all too well. She felt his arms wrap around her tightly and she nuzzled her face into his neck. He squirmed a little and she suddenly realized she hadn't hugged this man since The Stewmaker case.

She broke contact and stepped back towards the door.

"Ressler, you've done right by me since the very beginning."

He looked down sheepishly and stepped in closer to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Liz." He said as he stepped back quickly, not wanting to linger too long in fear he might not be able to restrain himself.

"Goodnight, Ressler."

He opened the car door and helped her get in. She sat in the cab, still in a state of shock as she reflected on how the night had turned out.

As the driver started moving, she turned around watchingas he stood in the street, unmoved, watching her drive away.

A few minutes later, she looked down at her phone and opened a text from Donald Ressler.

She smiled widely as she read the words display across her phone.

_I'm all yours._


	7. Chapter 7

**_This story has been my favorite so far to write and I honestly didn't feel like I was done with it yet! So here ya go! A few more chapters to continue the Keenler love story :-) Hope you enjoy!_**

* * *

Liz woke up the next morning still in a daze. She laid on her back, looking up at the ceiling, remembering the events of the previous night.

Ressler had kissed her.

She smiled softly to herself, remembering how shocked and surprised she had been when his lips touched hers.

She heard her phone go off and looked over at the clock to see that it was 7am. She quickly rose out of bed to get dressed for the morning and suddenly remembered her car was still parked at the bar.

"Shit", she said quietly.

She had forgotten about the cab she took home last night. Her morning would be even later than she thought.

She quickly got dressed and hurried out to the parking lot of her current motel and had to blink twice at the sight in front of her. It was her car…parked in the space she usually put it in.

She laughed to herself that of course Ressler, the ever gentlemen, would've taken care of bringing her car back for her. She quickly got in and drove to the Post Office.

….

When she walked in, she saw Ressler talking with Aram over by his desk. They both turned their heads when they saw her approaching from the elevators.

"Morning Keen", Aram said enthusiastically as he looked back over at his computer screen.

"Good Morning, Keen", Ressler said with a slight smile. "How was your commute?"

"Perfect. Thank you, Ressler…. for asking", she said blushing as she turned to go into her office.

Aram looked up from his computer, noticing the odd language and mannerisms between the two agents. He looked over at Agent Ressler and saw him follow Keen back to their office with his eyes.

Ressler suddenly realized what he was doing and looked back at Aram, who was watching him with a smirk on his face.

"Thanks Aram… for the help. I'll get with you later to check on the progress", he said abruptly as he turned quickly to follow Keen back to their office.

Once he was inside, he shut the door slightly and sat down at his desk.

"Are you a magician?", Keen asked with a smirk on her face.

"You didn't read up on that in my profile?", he said laughing. "It was right next to my tendencies for Asian porn."

Liz laughed. "Thanks again, for getting my car back to my place. You saved me having to explain my tardiness to Cooper."

Ressler nodded.

"Have you heard anything on Warren?", Liz asked hesitantly.

Ressler's smile turned into a frown. "Yeah, she's out of all her surgeries. They're just waiting for her to wake up."

"I'm sorry, Ressler. She's going to pull through. She seems like a tough cookie."

"Yeah… I was actually about to head over there in a few minutes if you want to join."

He looked up at her and raised his eyebrows in an attempt to persuade her.

"Sure. Our paperwork on the Mario case can wait."

Keen grabbed her jacket and followed Ressler out the door.

The two agents arrived at the hospital to find Warren awake and talking and stayed to wish her well for a little longer than expected. By the time they arrived back to the office, it was almost 1pm and they had a bunch of post-case paperwork to occupy them until late in the evening.

….

It was around 7pm when Liz looked over at her partner, who seemed to be just finishing his final notes on the Mario case. They both were exhausted. Liz always laughed when she remembered her first case on the task force and how much paperwork she got handed at the end of it. She doubted she would've joined the bureau if she had known about that small detail.

She watched as he closed his eyes and stretched his neck to the side, attempting to keep himself awake from the six hours they had just put in. She looked at his lips and smiled to herself when her mind flashbacked to how they tasted last night outside of the bar.

Ressler's eyes opened, catching her mid-stare. He smiled mischievously.

"This is going to be harder than I thought", he said looking back down at his files on his desk.

"What is that?", she asked tentatively.

"Trying to restrain myself at work when you look at me like that."

Liz smiled and laughed lightly.

"Sorry. My mind tends to keep drifting a bit today…. I don't know why."

Ressler slowly stood up from his desk and went over to hers. Sitting on the edge, so he was looking down at her.

"I know why. It's the same reason mine does as well", he said as he stared into her eyes.

"Do you want to go get some dinner?", he asked.

Liz didn't break their gaze as she answered him.

"No."

Ressler tilted his head to the side as he tried to understand why she was turning him down.

"I don't want dinner. But I wouldn't mind doing something else."

He finally understand her intentions and rose from her desk, walking back towards his chair and running his hands through his hair.

"Liz…..", he said, drawing her name out. "You're killing me. I'm trying to be good. Take things slow."

"I know. And I think it's incredibly sexy that you want to do that, which makes me want you even more Donald Ressler."

Hearing her say that she wanted him… hearing her say his full name like that…made Ressler turn suddenly and gaze. Liz saw his face change from playful to serious and realized that if they weren't at work with the blinds open right now, he would've closed the gap between them and taken her right there on the desk.

She felt the blood rush to her face as she broke his gaze.

"Sorry. I want this to work, Ressler. And if that means we take things slow, I'll behave."

He watched as she looked away from him and looked down at her feet.

"C'mon Liz… let's go get some dinner."


	8. Chapter 8

They walked into the restaurant, both starving, and were seated in the back booth. Liz had never been there before but it was known in the DC area as being one of the best Italian restaurants in the area. She looked over at Ressler, who sat across from her, and smiled.

"What is it?", he asked.

"Nothing. Just still trying to take everything in, I guess."

He nodded softly and looked over as he saw a man coming over to the table.

"My dear Donald…. It's great to see you, it's been too long." Ressler stood up and gave the man a hug while Liz looked on suspiciously.

"Armando, yes, it's great to see you too. I'm sorry I've been so distant." He looked over at Liz, who was eyeing the exchange. "This is Liz", he said gesturing over to her.

The waiter turned his attention to Liz. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Liz. My name is Armando and this rustic old place has been in my family for years. It's great to have you here", he said as he kissed her hand gently and looked back again at Ressler.

"Thanks for bringing our boy back… we've been worried about him."

Ressler smiled faintly, looking briefly at Liz.

"A bottle of your favorite?", Armando asked.

"That would be great."

As the man walked away, Liz cocked her head and eyed Ressler questionably.

"I take it you used to come here a lot?", she asked.

"The last time I came here was with Audrey", he said, not breaking her gaze.

Liz immediately felt her heart drop in her stomach. She pondered for a moment why he would he would bring her here. She looked down at the table, not wanting him to see the hurt on her face.

"I'm not her, Ressler", she said softly.

"I don't want you to be", he said immediately needing to explain.

"Liz… I'm sorry. I didn't bring you here to upset you. This place… this restaurant… I've shared a lot of special moments here. I used to live in the building next door and became pretty close with the owners, the staff. It's where I came after I graduated from Quantico. It's where I celebrated when I captured my first big criminal with the bureau. The people are like family… the only real family I've got."

He watched as she finally looked back up at him. Still interested in why he brought her.

"I wanted to bring you here as kind of an affirmation. Not to you, really. But to myself. That I'm finally ready… ready to dig myself out of this black hole I've been swimming in for the past year. That things are going to be ok. That I'm ready to start living again."

He paused, and started to continue on but she cut him off.

"Thank you", she said softly. "For bringing me."

Two hours later after a bottle of wine and three courses, Liz didn't think she could get up from the table without having to be rolled. She saw the same look on Ressler's face and started laughing.

"God Ressler, how did you keep in shape coming here all the time? The food was incredible. And so not good for my stomach and thighs."

"Your stomach and thighs are more than fine, Liz."

He saw her blush and smiled.

"Come on, I'll drive you home."

Once they got in the car, Ressler began to drive to her motel. She remembered, once again that she wouldn't have her car with her and silently cursed. She wasn't drunk, but she was definitely tipsy after drinking most of the bottle of wine. And the last thing she wanted to do was have Ressler drive her all the way back to her motel and then have to drive back to his apartment.

But if she were being honest… she didn't want to go back to her motel because she wanted to spend more time with him. Alone.

She thought about her next statement for a few minutes before she spoke the words aloud.

"Ressler, I don't want you to drive me back to my motel tonight."

He turned his face suddenly and looked at her. She saw the hesitation in his eyes. But she also saw the yearning to say yes.

He nodded his head and smiled, while turning his eyes back on the road to make a U-turn.

Liz hoped she wasn't rushing him into anything he wasn't ready for... anything she wasn't ready for. But she knew that she didn't want to be alone. And neither did he.


	9. Chapter 9

When they got to his apartment, Ressler went into the kitchen to get a couple beers while Liz made her way to his bathroom to relieve her bladder of some of the wine she had guzzled down.

She was washing her hands when she immediately saw it. A woman's toothbrush and toiletry kit, still laying on the bathroom vanity.

It had to have been Audrey's. All this time and he still kept it in his guest bathroom. He still loved her... stiill missed her. She closed her eyes to stop the tears from falling.

She must've been in there for longer than she thought, because suddenly she heard two light knocks at the door.

"Liz… is everything ok?"

She opened the door, her eyes still full of tears, and looked at him.

"Liz, what the hell happened? What's wrong?"

He watched as her eyes looked down towards the vanity … and that's when he saw it. Ressler silently cursed himself and looked back up to her to explain.

"Liz… I wasn't lying when I said what I did at dinner. I've been in a really dark place the last year. Losing Audrey. Feeling responsible for her death. I didn't cope well. I should've thrown those things out a long time ago. Just couldn't do it."

She nodded. "I get it. I guess it's the same reason I had such a hard time letting go of Tom."

"C'mon, can we talk more out in the living room?", he asked while taking her hand.

She followed him and sat next to him on the couch.

"Are you ready for this, Ressler?"

She looked up at him and as he nodded.

"Yes", he said firmly. "I am."

"Liz, I was in a dark hole. For awhile, after she died. I felt like I had lost everything. Like I had nothing to live for except for the job. And then slowly but surely…. I came out of it. And all of a sudden, I realized I did have something to live for. Someone to live for."

A tear dropped from her eye as she stared at him. He brushed it away as he spoke again.

"Are you sure that you're ready… for this between us? I don't want you to regret it.", he said to her.

Liz looked down into her hands and closed her eyes.

"Ressler, you have been the only good thing in my life… for a very long time." She paused and looked back up at him.

"Yes… I want this. And you."

She saw his eyes warm as he leaned in to kiss her softly. She moaned as she felt his lips touch hers, a spark shooting through her body. She thought he was going to pull back and end the kiss like he did the previous night, but he didn't. She felt his lips press harder against hers as she reciprocated, not being able to conceal her craving for more.

She felt him sigh when her tongue entered into his mouth. He closed the gap between their bodies on the couch as she felt his tongue against hers. Her hands playfully made their way into his hair and she felt him press harder into her as their kiss became more urgent.

"Liz…", he said as he broke away from the kiss and moaned her name.

She looked up into his eyes and saw how conflicted he was with wanting to go on.

"Do you want me to leave?", she asked him, hoping he wouldn't say no.

"Are you joking?", he said while laughing softly. "I don't want you to ever leave…. That's the problem."

He stopped laughing when he saw her realize the enormity of his words.

He watched her eyes zero in on his, searching his face for another meaning besides the words he spoke. But there was none.

She looked down at her hands, taking in the endless changes to their relationship and smiled. She looked back up at him and leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips. She leaned over to get the remote from the table and laid back into his arms. Snuggling herself up next to him, resting her head against his neck and chest.

Ressler wrapped his arm around his partner and kissed her hair.

She turned the tv on and they sat there, silent, peaceful in each other's arms.

…..

It took Ressler a few minutes after he woke up to realize where he was… and who he was with. He looked down and saw Liz's head resting on his chest, her arm wrapped around his waist, still asleep. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes again. She felt good. This felt good. It had been a long time since he had been this close to anyone. And now here he was… curled up on his couch with his partner of two years snuggled in beside him. If you would've told him a few days ago, this would be the predicament they would find themselves in, he wouldn't have believed it. He wanted it. God knows he wanted it. But he wouldn't have believed it.

He tried to maneuver himself to get from underneath her without waking her, but she started stirring and he stopped cold. Even though she felt good against him, he saw how she was laying and knew she would wake up in the morning with a sore neck if he didn't get her over to his bed. He thought about if she would mind. Being in his bed. And decided that she would appreciate the opportunity to stretch out more and decided to move her.

He rose carefully and cradled her in his arms as he carried her back to his bedroom and into his bed. He laid her down as softly as he could and watched as she snuggled underneath the covers, against his pillow, just like she was home.

He watched her for a few minutes. Taking in the sight of her laying there. He turned around to go make a bed on the couch when he felt her grab his hand and pull softly.

"Please don't go", she whispered.

He looked over at her, fully awake, staring back at him.

"I don't mind, Liz. It's ok."

"I mind", she said while pulling the covers back so he could climb in.

He got into the bed slowly and laid down, facing her. He watched as she scooted closer to him and he saw her looking back at him in the darkness.

When Ressler reached his hand over and brushed the hair from her face, she grabbed it and held it close to her chest.

"I don't ever want to leave either", she said softly.

Ressler watched as she slid herself under him, nuzzling her body against his in his bed.

He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He felt her turn her head and look up at him, wondering what was going on in his thoughts.

"She was pregnant, Liz", he said softly while holding her tighter. "When she died in my arms, she was pregnant. I found the test the next day when I was packing up her things."

Liz turned to Ressler and cradled his face. "Ressler….. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." He said slowly. "I'm ok… I just wanted to be open with you. Wanted to give you the chance to leave before you get in too deep." He laughed softly and felt her kiss his lips gently.

"I'm not going anywhere", she said while turning back around and spooning against him.

"Did you want kids?", she asked hesitantly. "Do you… want kids?"

"I do… one day." He paused for a moment and listened to her inhale. "Do you? I know you were close..."

He paused, deciding not to finish the sentence of her being close to adopting a kid with Tom.

"Yes. I do", she said. "I think I knew something wasn't right. It didn't feel all the way right…. with Tom."

She stopped speaking for a moment, reflecting on her last statement.

"But I definitely want to have my own one day…. with the right person."

Ressler smiled against her hair as he pulled her in tighter to his body. She could feel his chest, rising and falling with every breath. His arms encased her and she tried not to think too long on the fact that her backside was right up against him. Liz hadn't felt this level of intimacy in quite some time. She was nervous… excited. But mostly hopeful.

Ressler felt her relax in his arms and closed his eyes as he heard her begin to snore. He relished in the honesty between them. It was the only way their relationship would work. With so much between them, so much that had happened, the truth would be their only hope for happiness.


	10. Chapter 10

_**This chapter definitely gets a bit more "mature". Enjoy :-)**_

* * *

Liz slowly opened her eyes and squinted from the morning sun. She felt a warmth wrapped around her and realized she had fallen asleep in Donald Ressler's arms. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes to drink in the moment. She wrapped her arm around his and felt him shift a little in his sleep.

Their bodies were as close as they'd ever been together. His left leg draped over hers and his head buried in her hair.

She was afraid to move. Afraid that this moment, this wonderful moment between them, was a dream. And Liz wasn't ready to wake up.

She flinched when she heard his breathing change and his body move behind her. He kissed her hair and she heard him take in the same deep breath she had just inhaled.

He was enjoying this as much as her.

"Good Morning", he said softly.

Liz turned over slowly, still being held in his arms, and faced him in the bed.

"Good Morning Ressler", she said smiling back at him.

He leaned in and kissed her gently on her lips. He pulled away slowly and traced his finger along her lips.

"We're late, ya know?" He looked over at the clock on his nightstand which read 7:30am.

"I know…", she said groaning a bit. "But I don't want to leave this. Not yet."

He nodded and smiled softly. "I know what you mean. But it doesn't have to end… I mean we could do this again… if you want."

Liz laughed and watched as his face looked puzzled.

"That's what I love about you Ressler. You could practically have a woman throwing herself at you and you'd still make sure you weren't taking advantage of her."

He stared at her for a few seconds and suddenly pushed her on her back so she was lying flat on the bed with his body positioned on top of her.

"Is that what you want, Liz? Me to take advantage of you?", he asked with a devious grin, staring into her eyes.

Liz inhaled suddenly, the laughter in her face of a moment ago replaced with a thirst and desire to devour this man. She stared back at him, seeing the same wants and needs in his eyes.

But he was waiting. Waiting on her to make the first move. To let him know this was okay. That going further was okay.

She reached up and claimed his lips in hers. The gentle kisses between them replaced by hurried mouths and tongues exploring every crevice of their faces. She reached her hands in his hair and pulled him down so he was laying directly on top of her. Liz felt his hands running down the sides of her body and she ached for his bare hands against her skin.

Her hands made their way from his hair down to his back and she began pulling his shirt out of his pants, running her fingers along his back. She felt him arch a little and smiled into their kiss.

He lifted his face and looked at her, both of their faces red from the frenzy. He smiled and leaned down again to kiss her. Deeply, passionately. The intimacy of Ressler's kiss was enough to send her over the edge and she suddenly felt him against her, pushing up against her groin and she moaned.

She began to grind her hips into him and she heard him moan and respond by pushing himself harder against her hips.

"Liz…", he said with scattered breath in between their kisses. "If we don't stop this soon, I won't be able to."

"I don't want to stop", she said as she flipped him over so she was laying on top of him.

She smiled at his reaction and took his hands and placed them on her blouse. Ressler started unbuttoning her shirt and she took the time to remove him of his as well.

She sat there on top of him in her bra and saw the desire in his face to keep going. She reached down and kissed him as he unhooked the back and began to run his hands all over her breasts. Liz moaned in approval as his hands were now replaced by his mouth running his tongue over her nipples.

She was about to lose it.

She began unhooking his pants and felt his hands doing the same with hers. Both removed, they laid down next to each other, stark naked, realizing the enormity of what they were about to do next.

Ressler cupped her face with his hands.

"Do you know how much I care about you."

"I know", she said softly. A tear escaping her eyes as she smiled up at him. He leaned down to kiss her as he entered her body.

She gasped and bit his lip as Ressler started moving faster and faster in and out. She felt his hands again on her breasts, and found herself losing control as the wave slowly overcame her.

Liz broke away from their kiss and moaned loudly as she was overtaken by her body. It was then that she realized he was just as close as she had been and watched as he closed his eyes and trembled on top of her.

She watched him open his eyes and stare back at her, grinning widely as he kissed her again.

"Wow…", he said laughing softly, breaking the kiss.

"I know", Liz said closing her eyes. "That was….."

"Something I want to do again", Ressler said interrupting her.

She laughed and looked at the clock.

"Shit… It's 9am", she said moving from underneath of him and sitting up in the bed.

Ressler jumped up and grabbed his phone from the nightstand, seeing three missed calls from Cooper.

Liz, grabbing a sheet to cover herself, ran to her phone in the living room and saw that "Nick's Pizza" had called her four times that morning as well as Cooper.

She turned to walk back into the bedroom and saw Ressler come out wearing a pair of boxers and give her a look knowing the two agents would have to come up with an excuse as to why they were both unreachable and late that morning.

Just when Liz was heading back to Ressler's bedroom to get dressed, both agents turned around suddenly as two loud bangs pounded on the door just as it was kicked open.

Liz's mouth gasped in horror and Ressler stood in shock as Raymond Reddington and Dembe barged into his apartment catching the two agents in barely any clothing.

Raymond stood there staring while a smirk arose onto his face.

"Well Lizzie…. Next time you decide to have a fun night with good ol' Donald can you please do me the favor of answering your phone in the morning so I don't get calls from Cooper telling me you've both gone missing?"


End file.
